What a year it’s been for Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) and its virtual reality (VR) headset, PlayStation VR. During the summer SIE announced the major milestone of 3 million units sold since its launch in 2016, and an IDC report put the headset ahead in Q3 2018 shipments. The device has seen some big titles exclusively launch over the past 12 months, giving it one of the most unique libraries available for any headset.
The Best PlayStation VR Games of 2018
Astro Bot Rescue Mission – Sony Japan Studio
Let’s start with one of the biggest titles of the year for PlayStation VR, Astro Bot Rescue Missionfrom Sony Japan Studio. Proving that 3rd person platformers have a rightful place in VR, the lovably cute Astro Bot Rescue Mission spans 26 levels across five locations, with players in control of Astro who happens to be captain of a spaceship. An accident happens and Astro loses all the crew and now it’s up to players to find them all. Astro Bot Rescue Mission won the VR/AR category during the recent Game Awards 2018 and is one of the best introductions to VR gameplay on PlayStation VR.
Beat Saber – Beat Games
The rhythm action title featured on our Oculus Rift list and naturally found its way here. Having taken the industry by storm since its PC release earlier in the year, PlayStation VR owners got to see what all the fuss is about in November. With its simple but addictive gameplay, Beat Saber is great to play by yourself or with a few friends and family around.
Borderlands 2 VR – Gearbox Software
It may have only launched this month but Gearbox Software’s VR version of its open-world adventure is one to pick up. Exclusive to PlayStation VR, VRFocusproclaimed in its 5-star review: “Borderlands 2 VR is most certainly a highlight of this year’s VR releases and one of the best titles yet to hit PlayStation VR. Its still Borderlands 2, sure, but you’ve never played Borderlands 2 like this before.”
Firewall Zero Hour – First Contact Entertainment
Proving that dedicated online multiplayer shooters can work in VR when done correctly, this PlayStation VR exclusive makes good use of the PlayStation Aim controller. Firewall Zero Houris a team-based first-person shooter (FPS), four vs four player action where teamwork and communication is key to winning the multiplayer missions.
Moss – Polyarc
Much like Astro Bot Rescue Mission, Polyarc’s Moss is a third-person adventure. Featuring an adorable little mouse called Quill, Moss mixes up action sequences with puzzle platforming as she ventures away from her home to save her family and everyone else. Arriving at the beginning of the year, Moss is another 5-star experience in which VRFocus said: “Moss is a flawlessly crafted experience starring a character that absolutely deserves to be the face of modern VR. Every inch of the world shows attention to detail, and a story is woven that draws you in, making you truly invested in the world and in Quill as a person.”
Sprint Vector – Survios
Beat Saber maybe energetic but if you really want to work up a sweat in VR then Survios’ Sprint Vectoris the videogame of choice to burn those Christmas calories. Up to up to eight players can take part in this high-octane intergalactic game show which features both competitive multiplayer and customizable solo racing where movement is achieved by swinging your arms back and forth to build momentum.
Tetris Effect – Enhance Games
Bringing the classic puzzle videogame into the 21st century with an optional VR twist, Enhance Games has embued Tetris with some visual and audio flair as only it can. With 30-plus stages for players to experience, Tetris Effect also features the all-new “Zone” mechanic, where players can stop time (and Tetriminos falling) by entering “the Zone” and either get out of a sticky situation that could otherwise lead to “Game Over,” or rack up extra line clears for bonus rewards. One for those puzzle lovers out there.
Archangel: Hellfire – Skydance Interactive
Skydance Interactive originally launched single-player mech adventure Archangel back in 2017. The title has made it to this list thanks to the major update, Archangel: Hellfire, which added a major change. Originally an on-rails shooter, the studio gave the gameplay an overhaul which added free-roaming multiplayer. This improved the entire experience massively, with nuanced combat in massive building-sized machines that can unleash devastating attacks.
The Exorcist: Legion VR – Wolf & Wood
Now time for something scary. Wolf & Wood’s The Exorcist: Legion VRis an episodic horror series over five chapters. You step into the shoes of a Boston homicide detective tasked with investigating a series of ritualistic murders, including a priest at a local church. They have all the makings of a serial killer but it soon becomes apparent at the cause is far more demonic. With bags of creepy atmosphere, this is a proper alternative to the festive season.
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner – Mars – Konami
Another big robot title, Konami’s Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner – M∀RS is a PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR remake of the PlayStation 2 title. For the first time players can jump into the cockpit of these giant mechs – called Jehuty’s – and pilot them first-person – rather than first-person. Fans of the series should love it, but you don’t need to be to enjoy this quintessential Japanese title.
Consumer VR is a little over two years old now, creeping up on three years next April. There’s been plenty to talk about in VR gaming over the course of 2018, with even more ambitious indie studios and AAA game companies getting into the medium for the first time. Now in our second annual Road to VR Game of the Year Awards, we’ve again put the top VR games from the industry’s leading platforms through their paces.
Update (December 20th, 2018): When we first published our second annual Game of the Year awards, we replicated the structure set last year by awarding a ‘best’ designation to one game for each of the major VR platforms. After publishing, thoughtful commentary from our community, kicked off by Doctor Bambi, led us to reevaluate whether that structure sufficiently highlighted achievements in VR game design in 2018.
Especially considering that Beat Saber swept Rift & Vive (and thus received a combined award), we’re in agreement that just two Game of the Year awards alone weren’t enough to capture achievements in VR game design in 2018. After much discussion and deliberation we’ve added five Design Awards in key categories which more broadly recognize excellence in VR game design throughout the year.
Like last year’s awards, we’ve again centered on broadening the task of weighing games according to the most immersive platforms available: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR.
That said, 2018 has been a year of cross-platform pollination, so deliberation has been even more difficult this time around. To that end, we’ve combined Rift and Vive into a single category this year for two reasons. It’s partly due to the lack of compelling exclusives—good or bad depending on how you look at it—but it’s also partly because of Steam’s new keybinding tool lets users change how they control VR games, a one-time major factor in whether a game played better on one platform or another. With less of a distinction between the two in terms of functionality and content, the decision for this year’s format was clear (see update).
Now for Road to VR’s 2018 Game of the Year Award winners.
The words ‘killer app’ always rear their head when new consumer devices spring to life. Everyone wants to know what game, app, or tool will draw in the crowds and give them a reason to not only show off their shiny new toy to their friends and family, but also come back on their own for more.
Whether you believe in the idea of a ‘killer app’ or not isn’t important though, because a few things about the block-slashing rhythm game Beat Saber are: it’s an honest-to-goodness VR native that delivers a heart-pumping good time to everyone regardless of age, musical ability, or expertise with virtual reality headsets.
When we met up with Czech Republic-based indie studio Beat Games (then Hyperbolic Magnetism) at GDC 2018, it was apparent the small team had something special on their hands. The atmosphere was electric, the music was super high quality, the game’s haptic feedback made you feel like you were actually slicing through the colored directional boxes. Beat Saber was destined to compete with larger studios thanks to its ability to serve up something fresh, something insanely well done, and something we didn’t want to stop playing.
That premonition came true when Beat Saber launched into Early Access a few months later on Vive and Rift. While the game is still due for more updates, the community has stepped up in a big way to support the massive Beat Saber addiction that soon followed. Awesome mods aren’t a prerequisite for an awesome game, but they can oftentimes mean the difference between 10 hours of gameplay and 100 hours. As an indie studio working on a small budget, Beat Games understood it couldn’t promise a ton of chart toppers in its selection of music, but left a door wide open for groups such as Beat Saver to fill in the gaps, giving individual users the ability to map their own levels and serve up their own music, resulting in a mind-boggling number of well-realized levels for you to play with multiple difficulties.
Even then, if you stick to the standard level offerings—many of them created by the talented musician and composer Jaroslav Beck—it will be hard to come out of Beat Saber without a grin on your face, sweat on your brow, and the thought crossing your mind that we’re truly living in the future.
From its origins as a mini-game released alongside PlayStation VR’s launch in 2016, finally culminating in a full-fledged title in 2018, ASTRO BOT Rescue Mission’s path to game of the year was long but definitely deserved. At first glance you might not peg this seated, gamepad-based third-person platformer as something that makes great use of the immersive power of VR, but Astro Bot confounds that expectation with smart design that plays to PlayStation VR’s strengths while avoiding its weaknesses.
Taking advantage of the motion-tracking capabilities of the PS4 gamepad, Astro Bot allows the player to feel like they’re there inside the game’s world by controlling a variety of entertaining ‘controller gadgets’ which are essential to battling through varied and beautiful environments as you track down Astro’s missing friends.
And then there’s the hulking robo-bosses which tower over the player (and especially little Astro), setting them far apart from the game’s otherwise tiny baddies. Astro Bot’s boss battles are engaging challenges, each of which play out like a unique interactive puzzle that you have to solve in real-time, usually involving some teamwork between yourself and Astro.
On top of being easily one of PlayStation VR’s best looking games, Astro Bot also manages to be delightfully accessible. It’s easy enough for novice players to jump in, have fun, and be wowed by VR, while still managing to engage experienced players with challenging coin placements and secret areas. Those who are especially dedicated will find a hidden chameleon on each stage which unlocks one of 26 challenge stages which are totally unique mini-levels which that players’ skills to the test.
Astro Bot Rescue Mission is a superb game; the promising result of tasking a group of clearly talented game designers and developers with building a game around a brand new medium like VR. The game expertly executes every idea it brings to the table. There’s charm throughout, derived from excellent animation, art direction, FX and SFX, right down to the interactive credits sequence.
Despite somewhat of a rocky launch this summer, one thing stealth adventure Budget Cuts has in spades is immersion, as it tosses you head over heels into a cartoony, but very believable office complex filled with imposing killer robots. The world around you just feels right, as you instinctively scramble for cover, or get down on your hands and knees to crawl through ventilation ducts in search of the best route through a level filled with attentive and deadly obstacles. Users will regularly find themselves in the fetal position under a virtual desk, hoping the athletic assassin-bots won’t track you down and send you back to the last save point with a bullet between your eyes.
All in all, Budget Cuts is a triumph in native VR design, offering engaging set pieces, excellent audio, extremely well-realized characters, and just enough danger (and punishment) to make every knife-throw count. Budget Cuts takes object interaction pretty seriously too, offering you the possibility of picking up and using nearly anything you come across in the office environment, making those impromptu scissor kills that much more fun.
Locomotion design is one of the most challenging but important areas in VR today, and Sprint Vector single-handedly rewrote expectations for just how much and how fast you can move players virtually without making them sick.
In this Mario Kart-esque game, players race on foot in a sci-fi competition which has them speeding down the track, drifting around corners, bounding huge gaps, flying, and flinging themselves up massive walls. If you’ve ever felt uncomfortable in a VR experience before, your first reaction to seeing Sprint Vector’s crazy locomotion would probably be “no way, not for me.” And yet few players have trouble with the game’s ambitious movement scheme thanks to the studio spending considerable R&D time to deeply understand causes of motion sickness in VR and how to design around it.
The result is a game that’s so far unmatched in the speed and agility it offers to players while still widely maintaining comfort.
Hellblade: Senau’s Sacrifice is an emotional experience that simulates psychosis, something that really intensifies in the VR version—now bundled with the BAFTA Award-winning PC game. The world of Hellblade is not only visually breathtaking, but the little things seem to draw you in even deeper in VR than on standard monitors; the game’s disembodied voices whisper into your ears and criticize your every move, level geometry mysteriously changes as you look away to accomplish another task, making you question your own sanity. Emotion-filled cutscenes are masterfully retained in the VR version by zooming the world out to a black void at key moments in the story, giving you a 16:9 window to view the drama as it unfolds.
Hellblade not only sacrifices very little to bring you the full experience intended by its creators, it truly feels like a VR native in the process, showing a keen understanding of what you should and shouldn’t do in a VR port to make it immersive, comfortable, and everything you hoped it would be.
Available On: Oculus (Rift), Steam (Rift, Vive, Windows VR)
Release Date: July 31st, 2018
While many VR games are still using basic laser pointer interfaces, the gameplay demands of Electronauts—a freestyle music game—demanded something significantly more thoughtful. The result is an innovative 3D interface which allows users to manage a complex set of tools without getting lost in menus or overwhelmed by screens. Interface usability, precision, and speed are all critical to Electronauts because the player needs to be able to make adjustments on the fly otherwise they’ll drop the beat.
Using virtual drumsticks as a means of interaction seems natural for the game considering the primary instruments are floating orbs which are struck like drums. But Suvrios discovered that using the drumstick as a pointing tool for everything else—managing track flow, adjusting loops, controlling effects, etc—is very natural too. The way that the studio opted to split up the game’s complex functionality into discrete tools (represented by cubes which are ‘plugged into’ fixed stations around the user) is an innovation not to be overlooked; it’s an extremely successful means of adding a spatial layer to the interface which adds significantly to usability.
Not every VR game needs a complex user interface, but for those that do, there’s many lessons to be learned from Electronauts.
There are many indie VR projects in the works out there, but none like COMPOUND. Having released in Early Access this year, the game is a VR roguelike with a totally unique sense of style, and the clear result of heaps of passion from its sole developer, Bevan “NotDead” McKechnie.
From authentic retro-inspired art direction—which works surprisingly well in VR—to weapons ripe with personality, McKechnie has his own vision for what a VR game can be, and we’re excited to see what he comes up with next as COMPOUND continues to evolve.
Note: Games eligible for Road to VR‘s Game of the Year Award must be available to the public on or before December 1st, 2018 to allow for ample deliberation. Games must also natively support the target platform as to ensure full operability.
Astro Bot Rescue Mission (2018), the VR platformer that’s still wowing PSVR users well after its October 2nd launch, took home the title of ‘Best VR/AR Game’ at last night’s Game Awards.
The category specified that the winner would be crowned this year’s “best game experience playable in virtual or augmented reality, irrespective of platform.” Other games competing in the category were Beat Saber, Firewall Zero Hour, Moss, and Tetris Effect.
Developed by Sony Interactive entertainment’s JAPAN Studio, Astro Bot is essentially a full length spin-off of a mini-game called ‘Robots Rescue’ that was part of The Playroom VR, a free collection of co-op mini-games bundled with PSVR.
The charming, well-realized platformer puts you in control of a robot named Astro, tasking you both with collecting his missing buddies with the help of an ever-growing array of unique tools that pop out of your DualShock 4 controller.
In our review, Road to VR Executive Editor Ben Lang called Astro Bot a “superb game; the promising result of tasking a group of clearly talented game designers and developers with building a game around a brand new medium like VR.”
Continuing:
The game expertly executes every idea it brings to the table. There’s charm throughout, derived from excellent animation, art direction, FX and SFX, right down to the interactive credits sequence. Astro Bot Rescue Mission claims our first 10 out of 10 because it’s full of smart VR game design, and plays to the platform’s strengths while avoiding its weaknesses. In addition to having the right amount of content to leave the player with a truly satisfying experience, it’s hard to imagine many ways in which the game could have been better made.
Gestern fanden im Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles die Game Awards 2018 statt, um in einer prunkvollen Zeremonie die besten Spiele des Jahres in unterschiedlichen Kategorien auszuzeichnen. Dabei konnte sich Astro Bot Rescue Mission von den SIE Japan Studios die Auszeichnung als bestes VR-/AR-Spiel sichern.
The Game Awards 2018 – Astro Bot Rescue Mission ist das beste VR-/AR-Spiel des Jahres
Eine internationale Jury zeichnete bei den Game Awards 2018 den VR-Plattformer Astro Bot Rescue Mission für PlayStation VR (PSVR) als das beste VR-Spiel des Jahres aus.
Dabei setzte sich der charmante Jump-and-Run-Titel gegen namenhafte Konkurrenz durch und sicherte sich letztlich die begehrte Auszeichnung. Neben Astro Bot waren die VR-Spiele Beat Saber von Beat Games, Firewall Zero Hour von First Contact Entertainment, Moss von Polyarc Games sowie Tetris Effect von Resonair nominiert.
Auch wir waren beim Testen begeistert vom hervorragenden PSVR-Titel. Wer den preisgekrönten VR-Titel noch nicht kennt, sollte einmal bei unserem Review vorbeischauen oder sich unser dazugehöriges Video ansehen:
In weiteren Kategorien wurden unter anderem God of War als bestes Spiel des Jahres, Red Dead Redemption 2 für die beste Geschichte, Fortnite als bestes fortlaufendes Spiel, Monster Hunter: World als bestes Rollenspiel und Overwatch als bestes eSports-Spiel ausgezeichnet.
The Game Awards 2018 held its much-coveted event last night in Los Angeles, awarding accolades to some of the best videogames available over the last 12 months. The show has grown so much in scale that it’s now used as a platform for big announcements, with Ubisoft revealing Far Cry: New Dawn, and Epic Games officially launching the Epic Games Store. When it comes to virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), these technologies are still on the fringe, with the only mention being the winner of the VR/AR category, PlayStation VR exclusive Astro Bot Rescue Mission.
It was almost a given that Astro Bot Rescue Mission would likely come out on top thanks to all the positive reviews the videogame has had, demonstrating that VR doesn’t necessarily need to be in first-person to offer an engaging and immersive experience.
That’s not to say that its competitors were of a lesser calibre, with Tetris Effect, Firewall Zero Hour, and Moss all deserving of a place. And Beat Saber did well considering its still an Early Access title on PC, and only just arrived for PlayStation VR.
In VRFocus’review of Astro Bot Rescue Missionwe gave it a solid four stars, saying: “While Astro Bot Rescue Mission isn’t quite as charming as Moss, or as superbly crafted as Mario Odyssey, it is a great old-school platformer for the VR era, bringing some of the best features of both 2D and 3D platformers of old and incorporating VR in a way that doesn’t feel awkward. This is a fun, lighthearted way to spend some time in VR, and worth checking out.”
Hopefully, in future years VR and AR will gain a more prominent place in the videogame industry and at these type of award shows. Until then VRFocus will keep championing the technology.
The 2018 Game Awards are well underway and the winner for best VR/AR game was just announced. No surprises here.
Sony Japan’s Astro Bot Rescue Mission took home the prize, beating out the likes of Firewall Zero Hour, Beat Saber, Moss and Tetris Effect.
It’s a great choice; Astro Bot is a third-person platformer that makes great use of the PSVR headset.
“Astro Bot is not here to reinvent the wheel or claim the throne as VR’s killer app; there are enough games trying to do that already,” we said in our review. “Instead, it fuzes the thrill of seeing a virtual world come to life with the dependably engaging gameplay of one of gaming’s most beloved genres and explores what that can mean with fascinating results. It’s a refreshing reminder of just how astonishing VR can be when there’s nothing in your way, and it’s an absolutely essential experience for any PSVR owner.”
Ab morgen dem 4. Dezember veröffentlicht Sony das neue PlayStation VR Mega Pack, welches eine PSVR-Brille mit insgesamt fünf VR-Titeln zu einem erschwinglichen Preis enthält.
PlayStation VR Mega Pack – PSVR-Brille mit fünf Spielen ab 4. Dezember verfügbar
Weihnachten rückt immer näher und das passende Geschenk muss bei vielen noch gefunden werden. Passend zur Konsumfreude der Leute, bietet Sony ein kostengünstiges Bundle an, um neue VR-Enthusiasten zu gewinnen. Das PlayStation VR Mega Pack enthält eine PSVR-Brille, eine PS Kamera und Gutscheincodes für vier digitale VR-Spiele sowie die VR-Demo PlayStation VR Worlds.
Der offizielle Preis für Deutschland wird erst morgen enthüllt, der niederländische Spielehändler Game Mania listet das Paket allerdings bereits für 329 Euro. Zu beachten sei jedoch, dass keine PS Move Controller im Bundle enthalten sind. Sämtliche beiliegende Spiele sind aber mit dem DualShock-Controller spielbar.
Die folgenden VR-Titel erwarten euch im Megapaket:
Astro Bot Rescue Mission
WipEout Omega Collection
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR
DOOM VFR
PlayStation VR Worlds
Das PS VR Mega Pack ist ab morgen dem 4. Dezember offiziell erhältlich.
Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) are well known for putting together interesting deals and bundles for virtual reality (VR) headset PlayStation VR. A lot tend to be North American-based like the recent Borderlands 2 VR and Beat Saber Bundle, but now European customers will be getting their own specialised offer. SIE has announced the PlayStation VR Mega Pack bundle which will feature five top titles.
The new bundle will include the headset, PlayStation Camera, and voucher codes to digitally download the following five titles: Astro Bot Rescue Mission, WipEout Omega Collection, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR, Doom VFR, and PlayStation VR Worlds.
That’s quite the variety of gameplay types, with the excellent Astro Bot Rescue Mission probably the most sought after of the bunch since it launched in October with rave reviews. VRFocus gave it a solid four stars in our review saying: “it is a great old-school platformer for the VR era, bringing some of the best features of both 2D and 3D platformers of old and incorporating VR in a way that doesn’t feel awkward. This is a fun, lighthearted way to spend some time in VR, and worth checking out.”
WipEout Omega Collection naturally offers a much more intense experience thanks to its blisteringly fast racing speeds, so it’s well worth playing after you’ve got used to VR somewhat.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VRis where a lot of gamers will likely spend their time as it offers the most gameplay time, with its heavy role-playing game (RPG) mechanics there’s plenty to see and do in this massive VR experience.
Or for those after a bit more visceral, gun-toting videogame then Doom VFR has all that you need. Gaining a full five stars in VRFocus’ review, we said: “Ultimately DOOM VFR stands as a fine example of just what can be achieved with the FPS genre in VR as of today, lining-up against Robo Recall as an action-heavy experience that throws the rulebook out of the window.”
Lastly there’s original launch title PlayStation VR Worlds, which features a selection of smaller games and is a great way of introducing people to the VR experience.
The PlayStation VR Mega Pack bundle is due to launch in the UK on Monday 3rd December and 4th December in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. No official price has yet been given although some retailers have it listed for €329.00 EUR/ £290 GBP (most likely a place holder). When the official price is announced VRFocus will let you know.
It’s that special time of year again where every retailer goes discount crazy in the run-up to Christmas. Attracting customers with offers and discounts galore – some better than others. While Black Friday may still be a few days away, the EU PlayStation Store started its offerings on Friday just gone, so it seemed apt to feature those deals today. All these deals end at 11.59pm GMT on Monday 26th November 2018.
Astro Bot Rescue Mission
A platform title from the team at Sony Japan Studio, Astro Bot Rescue Mission was well received when it launched last month for PlayStation VR. VRFocuscommented in its review: “While Astro Bot Rescue Mission isn’t quite as charming as Moss, or as superbly crafted as Mario Odyssey, it is a great old-school platformer for the VR era, bringing some of the best features of both 2D and 3D platformers of old and incorporating VR in a way that doesn’t feel awkward. This is a fun, lighthearted way to spend some time in VR, and worth checking out.”
Astro Bot Rescue Mission is on sale for £19.99 GBP, reduced from £34.99.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR
Christmas 2017 proved to be a bumper year for VR content, with Bethesda releasing DOOM VFR and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR. Even though the latter videogame was a few years old by then the addition of VR proved to be a wise choice, with VRFocuswriting in its review: “for those who dreamed of a truly immersive role-playing experience, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VRis simply the best opportunity available today.”
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR is on sale for £19.99, reduced from £47.99.
SUPERHOT VR
SUPERHOT VR originally launched on Oculus Rift with Touch support before being ported to HTC Vive and PlayStation VR. The title has seen near-universal acclaim due to its particular gameplay style where time only moves when you do. So there’s plenty of slow-mo bullet dodging and gunplay as you try to kill enemies.
SUPERHOT VR is on sale for £11.99, reduced from £19.99.
Eagle Flight
Eagle Flight is another Oculus Rift which arrived in October before making its way to PlayStation VR and HTC Vive by the end of 2016. Set fifty years after humans vanished from the face of the Earth, wildlife and nature have reclaimed the cities, with players taking to the skies of Paris for a selection of single-player and multiplayer modes.
Eagle Flight is on sale for £9.99, reduced from £34.99.
Eve: Valkyrie – Warzone
EVE: Valkyrie – Warzone is a first-person spaceship shooter that puts you in the cockpit for intense multiplayer space combat. The Warzone expansion also includes all five previous free updates: Carrier Assault, Joint Strike, Gatecrash, Wormholes, and Groundrush.
EVE: Valkyrie – Warzone is on sale for £9.49, reduced from £24.99.
Farpoint
Farpoint is a sci-fi adventure where you find yourself stranded on an alien world filled with all sorts of nasty hostiles. While Farpoint will work with PlayStation VR’s standard control methods when the title launched it tended to be packaged with the PlayStation Aim controller, which is still the best way to play the experience.
Farpoint is on sale for £7.99, reduced from £24.99.
Firewall Zero Hour
Another title that benefits from owning PlayStation Aim, Firewall Zero Hour is a team-based online multiplayer from First Contact Entertainment. Receiving a five-star review from VRFocus, we said: “Firewall Zero Hour has managed to avoid many of the common pitfalls of VR online multiplayer’s and add its own interesting twist to the military FPS genre. The lobby system could use some improvements, but otherwise its a finely crafted title that will be of great interest to FPS fans.”
Firewall Zero Hour is on sale for £15.99, reduced from £34.99.
Robinson: The Journey
Robinson: The Journeycasts players as Robin, a boy that’s left stranded on an alien world called Tyson III after his ship crash lands. But Robin isn’t alone, he’s accompanied by an AI companion called HIGS, and together they must survive the harsh environment and dangerous inhabitants as they search for the lost crew, solving puzzles and unearthing the planet’s secrets along the way.
Robinson: The Journey is on sale for £9.79, reduced from £44.99.
Archangel
Archangel is set on a world ravaged by natural disasters. Players take on the role of a pilot in the United States Free Forces, a resistance group fighting a tyrannical United States government which has removed all freedoms from its citizens. Stepping into a massive mech, players will take the fight to HUMNX, a private conglomerate that controls what little is left of a ravaged America.
Archangel is on sale for £11.99, reduced from £29.99.
Star Trek: Bridge Crew
Star Trek: Bridge Crew features both single-player and multiplayer options – although VRFocus did state in its review that the videogame was all about the multiplayer. You get to play in one of four roles, Captain, Helm, Tactical or Engineering, each with its own particular job to do. Once chosen, you and your teammates then head out into space to complete a variety of missions.
Star Trek: Bridge Crew is on sale for £14.99, reduced from £29.99.
Now in its fourth year, The Game Awards has become one of the biggest events on the industry calendar, not only showcasing the best videogames but also the future of the videogame industry. The nominations are now in, and just like previous years, there is a virtual reality (VR) category with five deserving titles vying for the win.
In the best VR/AR category for 2018 there is Polyarc’s Moss, Beat Games’ Beat Saber, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) Japan Studio’s Astro Bot Rescue Mission, Enhance Games’ Tetris Effect, and Firewall Zero Hourby First Contact Entertainment. That’s quite a boon for PlayStation VR owners, with three exclusives making the cut. Beat Saber the other hand is still in early access, with an official PlayStation VR launch taking place on 20th November.
There’s very little cross-over this year as well, with only one VR title appearing in another category. Moss has been nominated in the Best Indie Debut Game section, giving Polyarc a couple of winning chances.
The Game Awards 2018 will be slightly different this year as gamers will be able to help select the winners in all categories of The Game Awards by voting for their favourites in the official The Game Awards Discord server. The server is now officially open, with voting running through to 5th December. You’ll also be able to vote at TheGameAwards.com, plus certain award categories can also be voted on directly via Facebook Messenger and Twitter Direct Message. Or there’s the option to talk to Amazon Alexa to vote for specific categories, and Google Assistant.
The Game Awards takes place on Thursday, 6th December at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles at 9 PM ET / 6 PM PT. Platforms that will air The Game Awards live will include YouTube (in 4K UHD resolution), Twitch, Twitter, Facebook, Mixer, Steam TV, PlayStation 4, Xbox Live, IGN, GameSpot, Polygon, MLG and Caffeine.tv. For further updates on the event next month, keep reading VRFocus.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR
SUPERHOT VR
Eagle Flight
Eve: Valkyrie – Warzone
Farpoint
Firewall Zero Hour
Robinson: The Journey
Archangel
Star Trek: Bridge Crew
